Legend of the Stars 1: Aldebaran
by TechnoDee
Summary: Stars have been dying lately, too much for comfort. When Kirby finds out that Popstar, since it is a star-like planet, will also suffer the same fate as the other dead stars, he decides to learn how to save Popstar, and that includes learning the legend of the stars and embarking on a very dangerous journey. Rated T for swearing and blood. HIATUS
1. Death of the Stars

_Okay! So here's my first series, "Legend of the Stars", and the first story of it—"Aldebaran", which, is some sort of star or somethin' like that. Ha ha! Of course it is. It is the brightest star in the constellation Taurus. Get it?_

_By the way, Kirby can speak here, and it contains my three little Kirbys._

_So, first chapter, please review, don't flame!_

* * *

Legend of the Stars

Book One: Aldebaran

Chapter One: Death of the Stars

* * *

On planet Popstar, where out pink hero resides, some of the residents were watching the night sky with shining eyes. The sky was beautiful—dotted with stars and sometimes, a shooting star would appear. Everyone would make a wish then.

"So pretty!" Fumu exclaimed happily, glad she had come out all the way from the castle to the tall hill. "Don't you think so Kirby?"

"Mm," the pink Star Warrior replied. He, too, was happily gazing at the stars.

"Hey! It's a shooting star!" one of the villagers exclaimed.

Yirby, the yellow magician Kirby (or puffball), squeezed out in front. He looked at the supposed shooting star, then promptly facepalmed. "That is _not_ a shooting star, you idiot!" Yirby sounded exasperated. If Yirby could be exasperated, anyone could be exasperated. "That is a dying star."

This caught Kirby's attention. "A dying star?" he asked fearfully, recoiling.

The yellow puffball nodded. "Yep. Stars die too, you know. Although, rarely any stars die at all... They last for really long, you see."

"_Rarely_?" Fumu gasped. Yirby had never been present at stargazing since he was practicing magic, and he was the genius (know-it-all, Rirby would like to call it) at stars. So, only now they knew about this. "But so many stars have been dying, then!"

"_What_?" Yirby shook his head in disbelief before many others began to agree with Fumu. "That's just—That's just impossible."

"But it's true," Kirby said sadly.

"Then _something_ must be going on!" the magician concluded. "Let's go talk to Kabu, then."

* * *

The whole village—minus Castle Dedede, mind you—gathered in front of Kabu. "Kabu, please lend us your wisdom," Fumu begged, like she always did. Fumu liked to beg a lot, and that itself was just plain out disgusting. "Many stars have been dying..." Her eyes suddenly widened in fear. "Wait, Pupupu Land... It's on Popstar, and Popstar is a star-like planet. Does it mean that Popstar is in danger as well?"

"The long-lived Kabu will speak. You cannot contact Kabu on this matter; instead, find someone else..."

"How about Storm Eye?" Kirby meekly suggested. Storm Eye was a golden dragon that lived with his offspring, Ritsuka. Storm Eye knew many things and was very old. "He might know."

"Good thinking, Kirby," Fumu said quietly. "Let's go ask Storm Eye, then!"

Since only Fumu heard Kirby suggest that, people thought that Fumu had thought of it. "Clever Fumu! Let's do just that."

Kirby felt a flicker of irritation, but he squashed it down firmly. They all went over to the small cave where both dragons resided. A green dragon with emerald eyes was sitting on a stone, eyes flicking around in boredom. When he saw Kirby, he squealed in excitement. "_Hi_!" he exclaimed. "What brings you here?"

"Storm Eye, please," Fumu said smugly.

The green dragon, Ritsuka, quickly dived into the cave. "Daddy! Daddy!"

Storm Eye flicked open an amber eye, before he slowly plodded out of the cave. "Greetings, children," he said in a weary voice.

Fumu smiled nervously. "W-Well, recently many stars have been dying. Or that's what Yirby said." She sighed in distress. "I was wondering if this would affect Popstar, or...what about Kirby's Warp Star? Will they be affected?"

The golden dragon eyed Fumu. "Well," he began, "it will not affect the Warp Star. The Warp Star is not exactly a star, but more of a transporting system and the source of Kirby's energy. It is just shaped like a star. However...yes, it will affect Popstar. Eventually, Popstar will also die, the same way you saw the other stars dying."

"No," Fumu gasped, "you must be lying."

"Unfortunately, child, I am not," the dragon said sympathetically. "There is only one way to stop it, though. Kirby must find information on the reason behind the death of the stars, and must save Popstar before it dies."

"But, how do we do that?" a villager asked cluelessly.

"There are many ways," Storm Eye replied. "The most efficient way it to summon Nova. Since Kirby has already called him once, Kirby can do it again without collecting any of those...star things."

"So only _Kirby_ can do it?" Fumu asked in disbelief. _No way, I wanted to go too! Maybe do all the work so I can get praise._

"Yes. Only Kirby can go summon Nova, since Nova appears in space. You humans cannot go into space, for you will...experience some death..._things_, but Star Warriors can. They are made to be so. You will have to wait until Kirby returns."

"Oh," Fumu said in dismay. "Then when should Kirby leave?"

"As soon as possible, which is now, since it will only be a short trip until he returns," Storm Eye replied. "I suggest you get going now."

Fumu held her breath. "Okay. Thank you, Storm Eye."

* * *

While Kirby was gone to ask Nova about it, Fumu sat under a tree, smirking. She had managed to attract most of the attention—now she needed to do something _big_ to be even more girl had always wanted to get attention by Kirby, but it never worked. So now...

Fumu walked briskly over to Meta Knight, who was sitting down on a log, seemingly lost in thought. He had come out because it was so much more relaxing, and Fumu took the opportunity and sat down beside him.

"Don't you think," she began, "that Kirby's taking a little too long? Popstar is in danger, and he's taking his own sweet time."

"Nova's summoning area is far away, Fumu," Meta Knight replied. "It will take a while to get there. Kirby will be back in three hours, I believe." He did not seemed bothered that Kirby was taking three hours—he was calculating how long until Popstar would die.

"I would be a lot faster," Fumu said smugly.

"Then why don't _you_ go?" Meta Knight asked finally. He thought that would shut her up, but she simply giggled.

"I thought you'd never ask. Follow me."

Fumu hopped down from the fallen log (which she was sitting on) and ran towards the tree. Meta Knight realized this _wasn't_ a real, genuine tree—it was fake. So that's why Fumu liked to sit under it. Because something must be there. Fumu pressed a camouflaged button on the tree before the tree's stem opened up. It led to a staircase which Fumu skipped down.

She giggled as they went down. "Ahh, no matter _how_ many times I come down here, it's always a great feeling."

"Really."

"Yes, really!"

Fumu turned on the lights and revealed a ship. It was mostly pink, with a hint of green here and there. "I present to you, the Fip. Not very well named, but I've created it _wonderfully_, don't you think so?" She smirked at her own accomplishment.

Meta Knight's eyes narrowed. "You created this yourself?"

"Yeah. I bought the engines from a website. I haven't tested it out yet, but I don't need to. It's too awesome."

The knight did not process the second part. "You are going to reach Nova faster than Kirby?" he asked skeptically. "Only Kirby can summon Nova; not you, because you've never collected the—"

"Dream Fountain nonsense. Yeah. But I'll just butt in when Kirby summons Nova, then." She hopped into her ship and got the engine working. The ceiling opened up, the Fip rose, and Fumu was leaving Popstar.

"Hm," Meta Knight said, walking further into the room. "There must be something more here. And why does she want to go after Kirby..?"

He spotted a pink and green book.

_Oh goodness. It's her diary._

Then he remembered her words.

_"I haven't tested it out yet, but I don't need to. It's too awesome."_

Meta Knight grabbed her diary and hid it in his cape. _She is in danger. She hasn't even tested the Fip out yet._ Then, he quickly ran off to find his own ship to go after her.

* * *

Kirby, breathless, summoned Nova in front of him. This time, no Marx to interfere. "Nova," he said meekly, "many stars have been dying lately..."

"GO ON."

"...and I want to know if Popstar will also die one day."

Nova said nothing for a while. "YES. POPSTAR WILL ALSO MEET ITS DOOM. IN EXACTLY ONE YEAR, ELEVEN MONTHS, THREE WEEKS, TWO DAYS, TWO HOURS, THIRTY MINUTES, AND NINE SECONDS. EIGHT SECONDS..."

Kirby's eyes widened. "We have only one year left?!"

"YES."

"Oh... I see. Can you protect Popstar?"

"NO. EVIL FORCE IS TOO STRONG. CANNOT HELP ANY STARS."

"Then how do I save Popstar, and the remaining stars?" Kirby asked seriously.

"I CANNOT SAY. THE EVIL FORCE HAS PREVENTED ME FROM SAYING ANYTHING. HOWEVER, LOOK AT YOUR OWN STAR." Then, Nova faded away, out of sight.

_My own star?_ Kirby thought as he flew back to Popstar, to find his "own star".

* * *

Fumu was having some problems, but finally managed to reach Nova's summoning area. It was empty, however. Fumu's eyes narrowed. "Whoa, Kirby really _is_ slow..." she whined to herself, before bringing out her phone. It read _no signal_. "Dammit! Now I can't even text my friends or anything..."

After she waited a long while, she began to feel impatient. "Something's not right," she whispered to herself. "It's been _too_ long. It's been three hours already."

Only then she realized that Kirby had left a long time ago. She cried out in distress. "Ugh! Fine, I'll go back myself!"

She did not know the upcoming disaster waiting for her.

* * *

When Kirby returned, Meta Knight ran up to him. "Kirby, did you encounter Fumu? Or a pink ship?" he asked hurriedly.

Kirby shook his head. "No..."

"Oh... Alright. Well, I'll be off for a while." Meta Knight headed towards the castle, as if he was in a hurry. Kirby wondered what it was, but now, he needed to find out what his _own star_ was.

_Not that I really have to do anything with stars, apart from being a Star Warrior._

He went over to the little cafe called the Puffball Cafe, named that name due to Rirby's very uncreative naming skills. But it sold good food. Yes, it was run by the other three puffballs—Yirby, Rirby and Girby.

Kirby opened the doors and Yirby dramatically sighed. "Oh, here comes a very rare customer, Kirby..."

"What will you have?" Girby asked.

"I...I shall have," Kirby said, before faltering. What...What did they say again, about this very famous food of theirs? Oh, right. "I shall have some of your very famous barley cake...and a half cup of Springo Special Ale."

"Barley cake's fine, but _Springo Special_? You haven't even tried the normal Springo," Yirby said, wide-eyed. "Here, try the normal one." He poured some of the Springo into a china cup, before pushing it across the counter. Gingerly, Kirby picked it up, and took a large gulp. He gagged, and quickly put a tissue to his mouth. "I knew it."

The bitter taste seemed to jolt all of Kirby's senses up, though. While Kirby was munching away at his barley cake, something hit him hard.

_My own star! The Warp Star, you silly twit!_

"You can have the rest of my barley cake, Girby!" Kirby yelled as he took off. He needed to get to Kabu, to his Warp Star, and fast.

* * *

While Fumu was traveling, she failed to notice her engine stopped working.

Fumu felt herself simply float and float around. Angered, she looked at the screen of her Fip. "Hey, this stupid thing! Why can't it go any faster? Gr, do you _want_ to irritate me?!" she gave the pedal a sharp shove.

The engine roared to life again, and promptly lunged forward. Fumu screamed as it didn't stop.

The worst thing was, she was headed straight to planet Hotbeat.

* * *

_So, I made Fumu pretty smug and annoying in this fic._

_Oh, by the way, planet Hotbeat is one of the planets that appears in Milky Way Wishes. It's the lava-ish planet where you find Fire and Suplex Copy Essence Deluxe. Or it was called something like that, right..?_

_Please review! No flaming, by the way. Since it's the first chapter, you may give me some inspiration. If you have any._


	2. A Talk with the Warp Star

_Hi! I'm back! After a seriously short time._

_Oh yeah, there's a new OC! It's Haddle. Dude from Minion: 100 Ways of Ridding of Boredom. There isn't much to explain about him, except he can heal people, and he has white feathery wings that can turn deathly scaly as he wishes. And he can become invisible at will. Not very offensive person._

_**coleypepwars3679**: OHOHOHO. I seriously dislike Fumu. I STRONGLY dislike Fumu. Strongly dislike = hate.  
Well, when you actually have to save the world, and you want to know you would usually round it down._

* * *

Legend of the Stars

Book One: Aldebaran

Chapter Two: A Talk with the Warp Star

* * *

Kirby puffed as he continued to run down the dirt path to Kabu. His face was smeared with mud, mostly because it had actually rained just now, and he had slipped and fell face-first. He didn't bother much, though—he could always wipe it off later. He tapped the rucksack that was on his back; in case there was a thunderstorm later on, he had brought a sleeping mat, and some food and water.

When Kirby was nearing Kabu, it started to rain again. _Oh no,_ Kirby thought in dismay, before hurrying on more quickly. _I had better hurry._

As soon as Kirby slipped down the stairs, he saw his small Warp Star sitting there. He picked it up, and it grew into its large form. Kirby, relieved, took a step back and sat down, facing it.

"Hi, Warp Star."

"..." No response.

"I'm Kirby. I think you know who I am. I'm the one who uses you for battle and you're my source of energy."

"..." No response.

"And now, I really need your help. Many stars are dying, and I _really_ want to know how to stop it."

"..." No response.

"You should know Popstar will also die one day, in one year...what was it? Eleven months, three weeks, two days? I'm not sure, something like that, and you get my point. Just please, tell me how to save Popstar."

"..." No response.

Kirby sighed.

_Is this really my own star, in the first place?_

* * *

Fumu's eyes weakly opened as she slowly sat up. _Augh..._ she thought, looking around. The Fip was smoking, and most probably could not work anymore. And she realized that she was in the middle of lava, which scared her to death.

She was on the planet Hotbeat, the planet of scorching heat.

She was pretty sure she wouldn't survive at all. There was absolutely no way. The Fip was not working, she knew, and all around her was lava, and she was on a simple rock platform, with a few enemies which didn't bother to attack her. Fumu turned around to see a small passageway that was slightly blocked by lava, but she could still proceed.

Mustering up as much as courage as she could, Fumu ran towards the passageway. It was dark, making her yelp in fear. There was no lava at all, she knew now. She couldn't even see her way.

_What if I fall?_ Fumu thought, being her usual paranoid self. _No. No. No._

She turned around to look back for the way she had come from, but all she saw was darkness.

_No, no, no!_

Fumu ran forward, but when she did, she felt the rock crumble underneath her_._

_No, just no._

She fell, causing her to scream, when she felt herself land on a platform, and _hard_. She wondered why it didn't break. As she felt her way around, she realized that it was tiny, and there was no way for her to get back up.

As if on cue, the light flickered on. Lava began pouring into the pits. Fumu screamed as she saw the lava rising.

_No, no!_

She began to climb up desperately. She managed to get to the very top before she saw the platform she was on being engulfed by lava. As if struck by horror, Fumu screamed, and climbed to the top.

She now understood that lava was going to fill up the whole room. With the lights on, Fumu ran back to where she came from. When she did, she saw all of the panicking and yelling. The ones which could fly took off immediately.

Fumu realized what was going on.

The planet was going to be drowned in lava, and she was going to be destroyed in that process.

* * *

Meta Knight dug around furiously for his mini Halberd. He had created one just in case, and while he was expanding it..._this_ occurred. Before he found it, he heard a voice from outside.

"Read to me the planets," pleaded Bandana Dee. "I want to hear it."

"You've heard it a multitude of times, Bandana Dee!" Waddle Doo snapped.

"I want to hear it again!" Bandana Dee said childishly. While Bandana Dee could be childish, he was one of the strongest minions of Castle Dedede. "Read it to me _now_, or else!"

"Okay, fine." Waddle Doo seemed to pull out a book. "I'm only going to read the really basic version, the summary, not the detailed one."

"Whatever."

"Okay." Waddle Doo flipped open the pages. "Okay, let's see. These are the main planets of our galaxy. There are other planets, but I'm talking the _main_ planets, okay? Alright, let's see... Floria, also known as the Grass Planet, is the flower star planet. It is the closest planet to Popstar. But, there is a mysterious puzzle to it. Every time _you_ enter a door, you will end up in a different season. The seasons go in a cycle: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter. The guardian of the Fountain of Dreams there is Twin Woods."

Bandana Dee squealed. "Ohh, that one! I love that one, it's so interesting!"

Waddle Doo rolled his eye, but said nothing. "Aquarius, also known as the Water Planet, is the water star planet. Most of Aquarius' surface is ocean. Most of the time, if you find any land, it will usually be tropical and features vegetation. Most of this planet's civilization is underwater, found in air bubbles. The guardian of the Fountain of Dreams there is Fatty Whale."

Again, another squeal from Bandana Dee. "Ooh, do I love that planet! I always go swimming there. Uncle Fatty Whale is a nice person."

Meta Knight was dying of impatience to hear about Hotbeat. "Well, whatever... Now, Skyhigh—"

"Oh gosh loooove that planet! I can even memorize the simplified passage. Skyhigh, also known as the Wind Planet—"

"Yeah yeah. So then let's move on to Hotbeat." Meta Knight's eyes widened. "Hotbeat, also known as the Flame Planet, is the scorching star planet. It is the planet that has the most amount of lava in it." Waddle Doo sighed. "Now here's the updated version."

"Updated version! Ooooooooooh."

"Planet Hotbeat has many tunnels that are very dark. This reason is due to the fact that it is relatively far from the Sun. In the tunnels, there is no lava. And if there is, you would die. Also, if you happen to fall off one of Hotbeat's cliffs, you will fall into an endless pit, until you reach the bottom and die. It is also said, once every year, Hotbeat will engulf itself in lava, reasons being unknown. All living creatures will die, unless you are able to fly."

"When's that time?"

Waddle Doo checked the clock on the wall nearby. "Well...it would be about now."

Bandana Dee did another squeal. "Ooooooooooh! That's so exciting. I wish I could watch..."

_About now?!_

Meta Knight immediately turned. Surely Fumu would perish there. As Waddle Doo continued reading on about the other planets, Meta Knight found the mini Halberd, hopped on, and shot off to Hotbeat. Little did he know, a small waddle dee was watching closely.

* * *

Haddle could not believe his eyes—at all. He knew about Hotbeat, and he knew Meta Knight was going there, but he knew Meta Knight would most probably come back dead. Haddle spread his feathery, white wings and soared into the sky, panicking. He couldn't follow Meta Knight, so what could he do?!

Tell the others.

The only person that came to Haddle's mind was Galacta Knight, the most powerful warrior in this galaxy. Or, so Galacta Knight claimed. (Haddle did not believe it. He believed Kirby was the strongest of the strongest.) Swiftly, Haddle looked out for the pink knight's small cottage and then circled above it.

_Is Galacta Knight in?_

Well, there was only one way to find out.

Haddle circled down in front of Galacta Knight's house before knocking politely on the door. The door swung open. "Yes?" Galacta Knight asked. He was sitting on his chair, drinking a cup of coffee. "What do you want? To die? You should know I don't answer doors, but I did."

"Well, y-yes, Your Powerfulness, b-but you see, it's very important." Haddle knew to be polite around the ill-tempered knight who somehow always seemed to defend Meta Knight, even though they were rivals. "You see, you know about Hotbeat? It is engulfed in lava every year."

"Yes, that time is now," Galacta Knight replied stiffly.

"...And Meta Knight has gone over there to save Fumu before she dies."

"_What_?" Galacta Knight stood up angrily. "_No_, I will _not_ have this. Haddle, go start up my ship."

"I—I would be honored," Haddle blurted out, "but I cannot."

"And why?"

"I must w-warn the others about it, where Meta Knight has gone."

"...Ah, yes... That is a good idea. Why are you standing there? Get to it?" Galacta Knight snapped.

Haddle flinched, mumbling a "Yes, Your Powerfulness!" before taking off into the sky again.

Galacta Knight huffed after the flying waddle dee.

_In any case, why does that idiot what to save that idiot girl anyway?_

* * *

Kirby had grown tired of speaking to his Warp Star, going so far as to even offer it candy.

It stayed silent.

Kirby sighed.

"Look, Warp Star, my planet is going to _die_, and if you're going to stay silent, you too will die, and I can't have any of us dying. I need to save Popstar, and I _know_ you can tell me. I just want to save everyone, so they can live their lives on, not because I want to be a hero again."

As if the Warp Star had snapped awake by his words, it spun around.

"..."

"Yes?" Kirby prompted.

"_..an..._"

"Sorry?"

"_...Aldebaran..._"

* * *

_CHAPTER DONE, SIRS._

_As for why Hotbeat is engulfed in lava every year... You will know in a book, that does not happen to be Aldebaran._

_Please review! And inspiration is appreciated!_


	3. Rescue

_This is the third chapter! Where I will be picking off from where I left._

_BTW!_

_There will be swearing. It was stated in the summary, so don't complain._

_**coleypepwars3679**: He's a knight. He has a sense of duty to save whatever lives he can._

* * *

Legend of the Stars

Book One: Aldebaran

Chapter Three: Rescue

* * *

"Aldebaran?!" Kirby gasped, a hand flying to his mouth. "...What's that?"

The Warp Star was unamused. "_...Aldebaran...is a planet. It is a very great planet that holds a secret..._"

Kirby nodded seriously. "Well, then... I have to go to Aldebaran to save the stars, isn't it?"

"_...That is true, however, Aldebaran is hidden from everyone's sight, except for a few exceptions..._"

"Oh." Kirby looked disappointed. So he had to solve some puzzle. He just wanted Popstar to be safe, and that was all! He shifted around uncomfortably, many thoughts passing through his head. _What sort of puzzle will I have to solve?_ he wondered to himself. The Warp Star hadn't even said what was at Aldebaran, or _how_ to save the stars. "Well...how do I get to see it?"

"_...You must learn the legend..._" the Warp Star said quietly in its deep voice. "_...You must learn it to fully understand..._"

"Then tell me," Kirby said impatiently.

"_...I am afraid I do not know, warrior..._" Kirby blinked at it. "_...But your friend Star Warrior must know a part of it..._"

"How—How do _you_ know?"

"_...Star Warriors always know..._" And the Warp Star was back in its tiny form, not speaking to Kirby again. Kirby figured it would still speak to him, but now it just didn't want to. Kirby knew he had to contact Meta Knight as quickly as possible.

_I have to use the Secret Post Service._

* * *

Kirby hurried out of Kabu when it stopped raining—he was hurrying because there was no time. He knew that he had to contact Meta Knight immediately. The pink puffball would have _no_ delays.

As soon as he reached the base of a tall cliff, he hurtled into a bush. He felt around for a hole and slipped into it, and ended up on a staircase made of dirt. He dusted himself, and quickly hurried down the steps to touch the cold marble floor. He pushed open the door with a _ping_, and the receptionist looked up.

"Good day, Sir Kirby," the receptionist, who was a waddle dee with glasses and had a bow tie on, and was named Shayne, said. "What may I do for you?"

"Message for Meta Knight," Kirby replied.

Shayne looked somewhat startled. "Well, uh, Sir Kirby, it seems that Sir Meta Knight left Popstar for some reason. I am not sure, but Sir Haddle said Sir Meta Knight left to Hotbeat, which is very dangerous."

Kirby tilted his head. "Um, why?"

Shayne blinked at Kirby. "Well, every year Hotbeat engulfs itself in lava, the reason being unknown. The time is now. I think Sir Haddle said Sir Meta Knight wanted to save Madam Fumu, but..."

_If Meta Knight dies, how am I to learn the legend?_

"I must go save them _both_," Kirby decided. "Thank you very much for the information, Shayne. It is very much appreciated."

"Of course, Sir Kirby."

"...Where is Haddle?" Kirby asked suddenly. "I need to talk to him." _I have to bring him along, in case I get any injuries._

"Oh... Sir Haddle is at the back. Please wait for me," Shayne said as he turned and walked into the office. A while later, Shayne returned with Haddle. "Here he is, Sir Kirby. Have a nice day."

Haddle flew up to Kirby. "_Kirby_. It's _awful_. Meta Knight..._and_ Fumu, they're both going to die and we can't quite do anything about it," he said quietly, a tear threatening to spill over.

Kirby nodded. "That's right. Haddle, we've _got_ to get there _immediately_. You're coming with me. You need to, in case I get injured. And that'd be a _real_ bad scenario." Kirby dragged Haddle out of the Secret Post Service.

Once they were out, Haddle picked Kirby up and flew towards where Kirby's ship was stored. When Kirby was starting up his starship and both of them were in, Haddle held back a muffled sob. "...Fumu's probably already dead."

"_No_, she's _not_, Haddle. Please don't think that."

"But she _is_, Kirby. It's probably already too late," Haddle said quietly. "It's been probably an _hour_ since the lava began to wash over. Fumu _doesn't_ stand a chance."

Kirby paused as they shot out of Popstar. "Haddle, how long does it take for Hotbeat to be fully washed over with lava?"

Haddle blinked, wiping a tear from his eye. "Well... One day."

"Why?"

"The lava slowly engulfs Hotbeat." Haddle saw what Kirby was thinking. "Kirby, don't get your hopes up. She may already be dead."

"I told you she's _not_, Haddle. Stop talking shit," Kirby growled softly.

_Fumu is NOT dead. She is absolutely NOT dead. Her being dead would be a lie._

Kirby tried to convince himself with that.

But in there, somewhere, he knew that she might be gone.

* * *

Kirby landed on a safe part of planet Hotbeat, and when he exited his starship, he breathed in deeply. "It's so hot here."

"Yeah, that's true, considering we took a twenty minutes trip," Haddle sighed. "But don't worry. I'm sure that... Well, actually, I'm not sure, but can't we just _hope_ for the best? ...Is that Fumu I hear?"

"I need you to listen out for Meta Knight, too," Kirby said miserably. _What if they're separated? __My job is gonna get a lot harder!_

"Why do you need Meta Knight?"

"To save Popstar, I need to hear a tale or two. A legend, I think." Kirby was _sure_ it was a legend, but was _no__t sure_ if he should tell Haddle. Leaving it at that, Kirby took a large amount of air in and floated up to look around. "I don't see Fumu."

"She was _screaming_. Maybe she's already dead," Haddle suggested. _Why am I being dragged along again?_ he asked himself. Well, it was a rare chance that Kirby asked someone to go with him somewhere, so Haddle considered himself rather lucky. "We just need to see if she's dead or alive, then..."

Kirby shook his head angrily—he would _not_ accept that either of his friends were _dead_. "_No_, Haddle, _they are not dead_. Stop thinking such silly things already. Be more realistic, please."

Haddle sighed. "_You're_ the one who needs to be a little more _realistic_..." he muttered, but didn't complain anymore.

The pink puffball, along with Haddle, both hurried towards where Haddle _thought_ he heard the scream. "Fumu! Fumu!" Kirby yelled frantically. "Meta Knight! Where are you guys? You need to return _now_!"

"You know, Meta Knight isn't necessarily here." Haddle only _just_ realized that. "He could have arrived later."

"No, he arrived _ages_ ago." Kirby sighed. "I _know_ he's here. It's a Star Warrior thing."

"Alive?" Haddle asked hopefully.

"Not sure," Kirby replied before starting to clamber up the rocks. "Haddle, fly above me—see if you can spot Fumu or Meta Knight anywhere."

"I'm pretty sure not," Haddle said miserably before rising up higher. He looked around, squinting and scrutinizing every area perfectly. He saw a tad of yellow, and his breath hitched. "Well, I think that's Fumu over there. Just keep walking a little further, and..."

"Is _Meta Knight_ there?" Kirby asked impatiently.

Haddle huffed. "I'm not sure! Just go see Fumu. He is possibly with her."

Knowing that Haddle could be right, Kirby finally clambered to the top of the rocks. "Okay, Haddle. Just guard my starship. If I give you the signal, go without me and return to Popstar." He proceeded to clamber down the rocks.

Wide-eyed, Haddle shook his head. "No! I can't leave you here!" he exclaimed. "I can't leave you to _die_! What about Popstar? Do you want Popstar to die, Kirby?" The winged waddle dee was beyond terrified. "I can't—"

"If Meta Knight dies, then Popstar will still die," Kirby cut in rudely. "Hurry up, just go. I don't think the lava will reach me anyway." He jumped down the rocks as a shortcut, and a slight "Ow!" could be heard, but Haddle heard Kirby's running footsteps.

"Kirby...please be okay."

* * *

Kirby entered a cave. He was unsure if Fumu was there, but it was worth a shot. "Fumu..." he called slowly. "It's me, Kirby."

"Kirby?" Fumu exited the cave. Her eyes were filled with rage. "You idiot! Why didn't you wait for me?!"

"Wait for you? What didn't I wait for you?" Kirby asked, confused. He had always waited for Fumu, and recently, they never had to wait much...

"When you left to Popstar after speaking with Nova!" Fumu yelled. "I was there, in my Fip—!" She covered her mouth with her hand, gasping in realization. She had just told Kirby everything she had done...

"Your Fip? Nova? Huh?" Kirby repeated, confused. "But you never told me you were heading out with me..."

"The Fip is my _ship_, stupid!" Fumu screamed. "And you left me behind!"

Kirby finally caught on, and when he did, he narrowed his eyes to slits. "Firstly, Fumu, if you wanted attention, you could have drawn it by yourself. But instead, you depend on me. Secondly, it was your idea to follow me, and you never even told me. Thirdly, then you start saying it's _my fault_ for leaving you behind. You, my buddy, are nothing more than an attention-seeker. I shouldn't even have bothered to find you. Where's Meta Knight?"

Fumu stared at Kirby, before sniffing. "Well, was Meta Knight here?"

"Yes, he also came to Hotbeat to save you, even though there's no reason saving an annoying toad like you," Kirby snorted. "Have you seen him? Or not? 'Cause I really need to talk to him. To save Popstar."

"I am here, Kirby." As always, Meta Knight _appeared_ behind Fumu. "I have been with Fumu for a long time, but my own ship broke under the heat. I told Fumu not to tell anyone I was with her."

"_Why_?" Kirby asked suggestively, raising both of his eyebrows skeptically. "So _what_ were you doing then, hm?"

"Nothing extraordinary. We just hoped someone would find us."

"Really? Because _I don't think so_."

"Kirby, can you get us out of here? We really must leave Hotbeat." Meta Knight was in one of his super serious moods—as always.

"Of course I can, but I'm not taking that attention-seeker," Kirby replied, gesturing to Fumu, who sniffled and sat on a rock.

"If you're not bringing her, you're not bringing me," Meta Knight stated clearly. He couldn't leave Fumu behind, no matter what. It was his duty as a knight. He and Kirby had a glaring competition.

Kirby finally gave in. "Fine, you both can come. Hurry up."

* * *

_This chapter isn't much, apart from Kirby rescuing both Meta Knight and Fumu._

_Please review!_


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